Fishery News
Week ending 22 June 2008
Dozen Rainbows for Douglas at Ravensthorpe
Douglas Whibley of Wollaston takes 12 hard fighting Rainbows
Tom makes it two in a row in Rutland Water Tuesday Night Boat League
Tom Cooper of Empingham records two straight wins in popular Summer boat league
Pick of the Pike
Boat fish for Pike at Pitsford Water alternate weeks Monday to Friday.
Weeks commencing 16 & 30 June; 14 & 28 July; 11 & 25 August; 8 & 25 September. Call the lodge on 01604 781350 for details.
25lb Pike weighed in at our Ardleigh Reservoir – for more information on coarse fishing at Ardleigh call 01206 230642Rutland Water 01780 686441; Grafham Water 01480 810531;
Rutland Water
fish week 878 (season 18,481) returns 436 (5,118) rod average 2.1(2.1)
Fishing last week was heavily influenced by the weather with strong winds gusting to gale force on Sunday preventing boats going out on the water. Sport was mixed and on the better days there were some good bags of fish, especially in the evenings with fish showing on top in many areas. Best fish of the week fell to Dave Sibson from Birstall in Leicestershire. Dave netted a cracking 6lb 4oz Rainbow. Season ticket holder Al Owen, of Sleaford, also had good sport with his best Rainbow weighing in at 5lb 14oz falling to a black buzzer on a floating line whilst boat fishing in Manton Bay.
The good news is that many fish are now showing on the surface on calm days, feeding on anything from pin fry, buzzers during the day, and sedge in the evenings.
Competition News
Tuesday Night Boat League week 6
Tom makes it two in a row!
Empingham’s Tom Cooper recorded two straight wins with 6 fish weighing 12lb 15¼oz. Taking second place was Tom’s brother, Richard, with 5 fish. Paul Wild took third place with 5 fish.
1st Tom Cooper 6 fish for 12lb 15¼oz
2nd Richard Cooper 5 fish for 12lb 5¼oz
3rd Paul Wild 5 fish for 11lb 4oz
4th Si Gaines 4 fish for 11lb 4oz
League table following week 6
1st Keith Jones 25 points
2nd Chris Evans 24 points
3rd Tom Cooper 20 points
4th Richard Cooper 20 points
5th Gary Cooper 18 points
6th Paul Wild 15 points
The unseasonable gale force winds on Sunday caused the abandonment of the England Eliminator. The results from the first leg fished at Grafham Water will determine who represents the Anglian Water region this year.
Best methods
Floating line with nymphs and dries. Black buzzer, diawl bach, pheasant tail. Dries, claret, hares ear, red. Lures, orange, black, cats whisker in blob, boobie, cormorant form.
Best rainbow 6lb 4oz taken by Dave Sibson of Birstall, Leics.
Best boat areas The main basin, bottom of both arms, Manton Bay, Lax Hill, Tim Appletons, Dickensons Bay
Best bank areas Normanton, Finches, New Zealand Point, Sykes Lane
Mid week boat winner Mr C Gamble of Zouch, Leics
Fish stocked 2,000
Forthcoming events Tuesday evening boat league Book in from 5.15pm
Scierra Pairs 5 July
EDFF fishery Rule competition 9 July
Anglian Water Over 50’s match 12 July
Anglian Water Fulling Mill Northern Final 21 July 50 boats booked
Anglian Water Loch Style 4 man team 20 August
beginners courses 28 June; 5,13,20,27 & 30 July and other dates throughout the season
Grafham Water
fish week 620 (season 10,333) returns 228 (2,889) rod average 2.71(3.57)
The fishing at Grafham Water this week has become a little challenging for both bank and boat anglers. Bank anglers are still finding plenty of fish moving close into the margins around G buoy and the rest of the North shore but the strong southerly and westerly winds have made fishing these areas very difficult for even the very best of casters. There have been some trout caught along Gaynes Cove and the Sludge Bank area mainly to small nymphs on floating lines. Boat anglers have found the fishing quite challenging and frustrating with fish rising in almost every area of the reservoir and very willing to chase flies but actually hooking and catching them has been tricky. The best method for the boat anglers this week has been medium sunk lines with blobs, boobies, ptn and diawl bachs.
Competition news
Grafham Water hosted heats for both the Lexus Individual and the Lexus Team Championship last week. Leigh Pond was the top individual on Sunday 15th.
1st Leigh Pond 8 fish for 23lb 4oz
2nd Ed Foster 8 fish for 19lb 11oz
3rd Vince Howley 8 fish for 17lb 15oz
Rod average 4.75. Best fish 3lb 9oz taken by Robert Allan
The winning team on Monday 16th was ACA Rio Masters. Hanningfield’s Vince Howley took third spot on Sunday in the individual. However, he was the top rod in Monday’s Team competition, helping his team to second place. Mid Northants Team Loop UK took third place.
1st ACA Rio Masters 21 fish for 56lb 4oz
2nd Hanningfield 23 fish for 54lb 4oz
3rd Mid Northants Team Loop UK 15 fish for 40lb 4oz
rod average 2.7. Best fish Ed Foster 5lb 1oz Rainbow.
Invicta Tuesday Night Boat League
This week’s winner was Mark Searle of Cambridge. Mark caught and released three Rainbows on a floating line with red holographic diawl bachs.
Best rainbow 5lb 11oz taken by Damon White of St Neots
Best brown Various at 3lb
Best boat areas G,I and D, B buoys, Central drifts, North Dam, Sludge bank
Best bank areas Hill Farm, G bank, Marlow Stones, Willows, Sludge bank, Gaynes Cove
Mid Week boat winner Chris Fleming Jones of Cambridge
Fish stocked 2,000
Forthcoming events AWFMI Midland heat 28 June
English Youth National 5 July
beginners courses 6,20 & 25 July and other dates throughout the season
Tuesday Evening Boat League
Pitsford Water
fish week 754 (season 8,263) returns 264 (2,685) rod average 2.8(3.0)
Draycote Fly Fishers held an annual club match on Pitsford on Saturday. They enjoyed a good day with many members having bag limits and returning numbers of fish. Fish were high up in the water and were taken on orange blobs on floating lines. Some anglers used dry flies which took some larger fish. The Pines was the hot spot on the day and it has been throughout the week on the bank.
Bank anglers have been enjoying good sport this week. There have been large hatches of Sedge which has made the evening fishing excellent. Patterns to use have been a size 12 silver invicta fished slowly through the surface.
Boat anglers have been catching on the rudder and drifting out in the middle of the main basin. Pitsford casual warden Mark Benstead fished with regular boat partner Malcolm Eade. They fished in North Farm and caught and released over 12 fish on buzzers. Peter Daniels from Northampton fished on Saturday and caught 12 fish in the Small Half near the Causeway.
Pike fishing
Pike fishing started at Pitsford last Monday. With six boats out daily anglers are catching lots of Jack pike up to around 10lb. Some boat anglers were catching between 10 and 20 fish per boat. Steve Haynes from Northampton fished with two other Pike anglers and they caught 25 Pike with the largest at 25lb. Steve said it was the best day’s Pike fishing he has ever had. Derek MacDonald fished with Angling Times photographer Mick Rouse, working on a feature for a future issue. Anglers can boat fish for pike with lures over 18cm only at Pitsford Water alternate weeks Monday to Friday. Weeks commencing 16 & 30 June; 14 & 28 July; 11 & 25 August; 8 & 25 September. Call the lodge on 01604 781350 for details.
Best methods Floating lines, orange blobs, buzzers and dries.
Best boat areas Pines, Dam
Best bank areas Pines to Gravels
Mid week boat winner Mr Conelly of Essex
Fish stocked 1,500
Forthcoming events Boat fishing for pike at Pitsford Water alternate weeks Monday to Friday commencing 16,30 June; 14 & 28 July; 11 & 25 August; 8 & 25 September
beginners courses alternate Saturdays from 25 May until the first week of November.
Float tubing in small half Saturday 28 June
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
fish week 424 (season 8,350) returns 106 (1,390) rod average 4.0 (6.0)
Some bank anglers have recorded catches of 10-12 fish, particularly when the dam is in favourable wind conditions. The low numbered platforms are producing some good catches. Douglas Whibley, a season ticket holder from Wollaston, Northants, caught 12 hard fighting Rainbows all taken on a size 12 olive Shipman’s buzzer fished almost static. There is plenty of surface activity throughout the day, but boat anglers have reported that the fish are not easy to tempt. It will be worth trying some ‘wake’ flies ie. wets such as Soldiers Palmers, mini muddlers etc, pulled fast through the surface. Other flies to use are damsel nymphs, silver invictas, buzzers etc. A further stocking of 400 fish took place this week and this, along with some improved weather, should keep our anglers busy.
Best methods See report
Best rainbow two at 5lb
Best boat areas Domes and Coton end
Best bank areas Dam and low number platforms
Mid week boat winner Mike Smith of Harlton, Cambs
Fish stocked 400